Abundance and potential impact of granivorous birds on irrigated rice cultivation, Itajaí, Santa Catarina, Brazil

ABSTRACT: The assemblage of granivorous birds in the irrigated paddy-fields was evaluated over an annual cultivation cycle by means of 12 monthly samplings undertaken in each of 3 areas (of a total of 90 ha) in Itajaí, Santa Catarina, between August 2010 and July 2011. Of a total of 10 species, distributed among 5 families and 2 orders, Sturnella superciliaris (43.88%) and Sicalis flaveola (36.88%) were the most abundant. The regular species contributed with 45.17%, followed by the occasional (30.37%) and the seasonal (24.43%). Only the abundance of S. flaveola presented significant differences between the months of sampling (F11-33 = 7.1290, p